Latinas seeking mentors

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, May 24, 2003

Latinas believe that their No. 1 workplace challenge is finding a mentor, according to a study released this week by the nonprofit research group Catalyst.

Catalyst surveyed 342 Latinas, conducted 13 focus groups and interviewed many high-ranking Latinas before producing the study, "Latinas in the Workplace: What Managers Need to Know." The findings are in line with earlier reports from Catalyst that the lack of mentors is a problem in general for women of color.

Another key obstacle, the study found, is that managers don't understand the essential role that family plays in Latino culture. Catalyst reports that 21 percent of Latinas surveyed cite family commitments as a barrier to advancement; among women of color overall, only 14 percent cite that factor as a barrier.

The study said that for many Latinas, "family" goes beyond the commonly accepted definition of the nuclear family and includes, for example, aunts, uncles and cousins.

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DIVERSE THINKING: One point worth adding to my May 10 column on diversity comes from William Spriggs, executive director of the National Urban League's Institute for Opportunity and Equality: Companies that ignore the importance of diversity could set themselves up for trouble as the economy rebounds. He said one key reason the economy did so well in the 1990s was that more women and minorities were hired as jobs were added.

"If we didn't have this bigger pool of workers," Spriggs said, "we would have this inflation that everybody was fearing."

Spriggs didn't dispute the crux of the column -- a study by Diversity Research Network that could find little connection between diversity and improving a company's bottom line. But he explained that companies with a reputation for discrimination will run into trouble once the economy bounces back.

Just as the nation would have seen far higher salaries and inflation if more minorities hadn't joined the workforce, Spriggs said, companies that can't attract minorities will have a far smaller hiring pool to choose from and will have to pay higher salaries, making it harder to compete.

THE UNEXPECTED: A nice anecdote in Brian Tracy's "Goals" book has little to do with setting goals but a lot to do with setting your sights. A successful businessman described how his life had changed for the better when he came across a sign written on a brown paper bag and posted on a high school bulletin board.

"Your success in life," it said, "will be in direct proportion to what you do after you do what you are expected to do."

If your career is stymied, read those words over and over again until they sink in. In so many instances, workers think they're doing a good job because they satisfy the basic requirements, then get frustrated when they're turned down for raises or promotions.

How often do you pleasantly surprise your boss? What duties do you take on without being asked?

Meeting expectations will (usually) keep you from getting fired. But exceeding expectations will get you promoted.